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5/14/14, "U.S. positions forces in Sicily over Libya security fears," Reuters, Phil Stewart
"The Pentagon said on Wednesday it has temporarily moved nearly 200 Marines to Sicily from their base in Spain as a precaution due to concerns about unrest in North Africa, bolstering the U.S. ability to respond to any crisis.
The Pentagon declined
to single out any countries but two U.S. officials, speaking on
condition of anonymity, said American concerns were centered squarely on
Libya, where armed groups and Islamists refused to disarm after the 2011 ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.
The
Marines are part of a crisis response unit focused on embassy security
created after the attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012, which killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
That force is meant to speed U.S. response times in north and west Africa.
"We're
doing this as a contingency because we believe that the security
situation in North Africa is deteriorating to a point where there could
be threats," said Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman.
Warren
did not elaborate. The two U.S. officials, however, told Reuters the
move followed widespread concerns about deteriorating security in Libya,
as opposed to specific information about an imminent attack.
The
Pentagon has in recent months made similar, temporary moves of Marines
from the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response,
who are mostly based in Spain but also have a contingent stationed in Romania.
Last
October, about 200 Marines from the task force also flew to Naval Air
Station Sigonella in Sicily for several weeks after U.S. special
operations forces captured a senior al Qaeda figure in Libya, triggering
unrest.
Three years after
the NATO-backed overthrow of Gaddafi, Libya is gripped by political
turmoil that has left the government struggling to assert its authority
over armed groups and Islamists.
Libya's
oil infrastructure remains the target of protests and shutdowns,
usually by brigades of former rebels who refuse to recognize the state's
authority. Last month, gunmen stormed Libya's parliament.
Earlier
on Wednesday, Libyan soldiers in charge of securing the prime
minister's office blocked cars from leaving the building in protest at
not having been paid.
Warren
said the Pentagon's decision to move the forces, along with six
aircraft, followed a request from the U.S. State Department.
Warren
stressed that while the Marines were "unquestionably" focused on the
protection of embassies, he did not rule out the possibility they could
be called upon for a different mission.
"These
are United States Marines capable of conducting any mission given to
them. That said, the focus of this force is the protection of embassies
and U.S. personnel," Warren said.
The Benghazi attack has become deeply politicized in Washington, with Republicans accusing President Barack Obama's administration of doing too little to repel the attacks and then trying to protect Obama from political fallout."
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